How Often Should I Get an STD Test?

Whether you’ve just become sexually active or engage regularly with partners, the risk of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is always present. To reduce your chances of infection, how frequently should you get tested?

Sex is a natural part of life, but it carries risks, including unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Millions of sexually active people are at risk, especially those 15-24; that age group accounts for nearly half of new infections.

Getting an STD can be embarrassing, but don’t let it stop you from getting help. Routine testing allows you to catch and treat problems before they get worse. But how often should you get tested?

At Quality Health Source in Mableton, Georgia, Dr. Temeka Johnson and her dedicated staff perform STD testing and provide discreet, effective treatment if you have an STD. Here’s what they want you to know.

Facts about STDs

STDs are often called sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but the terms aren’t interchangeable. The primary difference is the stage of development. As with most infections, you may not realize one is present until symptoms present themselves.

An STI is what gets in the body through genital or oral contact; an STD is what develops from the infection.

Common STD symptoms include:

Rashes, sores, or bumps in your genital area
Itchiness
Unusual discharge
Swelling
Bleeding
Pain during sex or urination

The symptoms can vary depending on the type of STD.

Types of STDs

Common sexually transmitted diseases include:

Chlamydia, a bacterial infection you may not notice for weeks after sex
Gonorrhea, a bacterial infection that often starts without symptoms
Syphilis, this bacterial infection can become dangerous in later stages
Human papillomavirus (HPV), a skin-to-skin viral infection you can get without sex
Herpes, a skin-to-skin viral infection causing fluid-filled blisters on the mouth, genitals

Over time, STDs can develop into other problems, like pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, pelvic pain, urethral and prostatic infections, and ectopic pregnancies.

Testing frequency

How often you should get tested depends on several factors:

Age and sex

The frequency changes depending on the infection. Everyone 13-64, for example, should be tested at least once for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Women under 25 should get chlamydia and gonorrhea tests every year. If you’re pregnant, you should test for those diseases, as well as HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C.

Having multiple sexual partners generally means more testing, but that’s determined on an individual basis. Anal and oral sex may require specific testing as well.

Sexual orientation

Gay and bisexual men should be tested for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia annually (and every 3-6 months if multiple partners are involved). If you have HIV, get tested for hepatitis C annually.

Illegal drug use

People sharing needles with illegal drugs are at high risk of HIV and need annual testing.

If you’re sexually active and want to protect yourself and your partner or are dealing with the symptoms of an STD, make an appointment by phone or online today for discreet STD testing at Quality Health Source.